Friday, April 30, 2010

I haven't read anything remotely similar to them since college (think Mr. Darcy and Miss Jones), but I wanted to give Asian Chic a try. These three chick lit novels from Marshall Cavendish, reprinted and distributed locally by Anvil (not the publishing house you'd expect to carry titles like this), are all by Filipina authors. I took my signed copies of Tara FT Sering's Amazing Grace, Noelle Chua's Mrs. MisMarriage and Maya Calica's Undercover Tai Tai with me to the beach(es), and the books' effects on me were not quite what I expected. Amazing Grace is a hormonal chase that hits close to home; Mrs. MisMarriage is a thoughtful, sobering dissection of wedded life; Undercover Tai Tai is a fun romp that made me fantasize about an undercover agent. I'm glad I read them in that order. Hooray for feminine feminist fiction!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Every year, I do a bit of spring cleaning, usually removing clothes I haven't worn in years from my closet. This year's process is much more tedious, in part because of Ondoy, which half-ruined our wooden floor (it was wet for days because everyone going to the second floor from the flooded first floor brought up quite a bit of water). The varnish had to be stripped and reapplied. This meant moving things out of rooms and reassessing what possessions are really needed. I've thrown out more than a balikbayan box's worth of stuff so far (I've been at it for an hour or two every day for the past week). Think unused keychains, books, old uniforms, toys, bric-a-brac, and souvenirs.

My eyes watered when I saw my stuffed toys. My childhood! In a box! I knew all those plush animals well, but there are children out there who could love them more. And I thought I wasn't sentimental.

Un-sentimental enough to give them away, maybe. But I left Patty and this one behind. Say hi to my studio mascot, Palette Cat.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The POC Review, a new online magazine of Philippine literature, is now accepting submissions. We will publish short fiction, creative nonfiction, and criticism in English.

Fiction in any genre is welcome as long as it is compelling and imaginative. Creative nonfiction includes but is not restricted to memoirs, personal essays, travel essays, eyewitness accounts, literary journalism, and unconventional nonfiction that tests genre boundaries. Works of fiction and creative nonfiction should be 2,000 to 8,000 words, but these are not hard-and-fast limits. Excerpts from longer works, such as novels, will be considered as long as they are self-contained. We are open to serialization.

Criticism is broadly defined as essays on Philippine books and literature as well as on writing and reading. These essays include reviews of recently published books, interviews, re-evaluations of neglected works or authors, and think-pieces on the state of literature and its relationship to the culture at large. Unless necessary, critical essays should eschew academic jargon and dispense with critical apparatus. Critical pieces should be some 1,000 to 3,000 words.

Submissions must be previously unpublished, in print or online. Works submitted simultaneously to other publications will be considered, but let us know that you have submitted your work elsewhere, and inform us promptly if your work is accepted for publication. By submitting, you guarantee that your work is entirely your own original creation.

Send your work as an email attachment to thepocreview (at) thepoc (dot) net with “submission:” in the subject line followed by the genre. The document should be a .doc or .rtf file. Please include a short description of the work you are submitting and a brief note about yourself.

We will pay at least 3,000 Philippine pesos for each work we publish. The rights we purchase are these: first and exclusive online rights for one year, the right to place your work in an online archive (though you may have the work removed one year after publication), and first (but not exclusive) right to publish your work in a print anthology.

Our maiden issue should be online in July. We hope to publish new material every week.

The POC Review is published by the Vibal Foundation and edited by Exie Abola.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Do you have travel photos you want to share? Join me at the Road Junky Travel Festival. From the online submissions, chosen photos will be printed and displayed during the festival in Berlin on May 28 to 30. View the call and the gallery. Let's go!

Friday, April 23, 2010

There's this fish & chips place in Olongapo that ex-Londoners can't miss.

Below our window was a parked Chevrolet Corvette Z51. She was beautiful, with a big sportscar sound. It would have been cool, until the owners arrived. Would you fit your wife, your baby and the yaya in the passenger seat? I think it should be illegal. Time to get a family car...

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Their roast duck (above), unlike others I have tried, is not dry at all. Their rice toppings are large; the tausi fish is just fine. But their egg tart (below) is not as Macanese as I had hoped.

Kuse by Chef's Quarter, McKinley PiazzaFilipino food, some with a twist

Their Batangas Bulalo is lean, not oily. This cream dory (above) is filled with chopped mushrooms and has some angel hair pesto to go with it. Their mini okoy is crispy; the garlic dulong rice is dilis more than anything else.

And if you're still not used to having someone at your table taking out a camera before you eat, get used to it.